Investigation Nos. 701-TA-790 (countervailing duty) and 731-TA-1778 (antidumping) for lithium hexafluorophosphate from China were discontinued on April 14, 2026, following petition withdrawal by Mexichem Fluor Inc. dba Orbia Fluor & Energy Materials. The U.S. International Trade Commission published notice in Federal Register Volume 91, Issue 78 on April 23, 2026, confirming that Commerce did not initiate investigations under 19 U.S.C. 1671a(c) and 1673a(c).
For compliance engineering teams tracking battery electrolyte chemicals, this means no new AD/CVD duty rates will be applied to lithium hexafluorophosphate (LiPF6) imports from China under these investigation numbers. Systems pulling HTS duty data for this compound require no updates related to these discontinued investigations. The withdrawal occurred before Commerce formally initiated proceedings, so no preliminary or final determination rates were ever published for caching or implementation.
Lithium hexafluorophosphate is a critical electrolyte salt used in lithium-ion batteries across EV, consumer electronics, and energy storage applications. Had the investigations proceeded, importers would have faced potential deposit requirements pending final determinations. Boston-based Orbia Fluor & Energy Materials, the sole petitioner, submitted its withdrawal letter on April 14, 2026, effectively terminating any prospect of additional duties on Chinese-origin LiPF6.
Technical note: Because Commerce never initiated under sections 702(c) and 732(c) of the Tariff Act of 1930, no Federal Register notice of initiation was published, no scope language was finalized, and no HTS subheading modifications were proposed. Rate tables remain unchanged.
For teams maintaining duty calculation engines, this discontinuation eliminates a potential source of rate volatility for a high-volume battery material. However, it also highlights the challenge of tracking investigation status in real time—petitions can be withdrawn at any point before initiation, leaving compliance systems exposed if they prematurely flag pending duties or build logic around anticipated rates that never materialize.
The ITC notice, issued April 20, 2026, and signed by Supervisory Attorney Susan Orndoff, confirms the investigations are fully discontinued. The public record remains accessible via the Commission's Electronic Document Information System (EDIS) at edis.usitc.gov, though no substantive filings beyond the petition and withdrawal letter exist.
Compliance teams should verify that any internal documentation or client advisories referencing potential LiPF6 duties from China are updated to reflect this discontinuation. No further action from Commerce or the ITC is expected on these specific investigation numbers.